Halliday's Versatility An Asset

19 February 2014

Mark Ridgway

The winger on playing left-back and settling in

When Jack Robinson collided with his own team mate 12 minutes into Saturday’s game it was a situation Barry Ferguson could hardly prepare for, but it highlighted the strength and versatility the Scot has on his bench.

Andy Halliday, primarily brought in as a winger, took to the field and played an integral part in helping Blackpool to their first clean sheet of 2014.

However, the Middlesbrough loanee did play at the back for his parent club on occasions last season, and was glad to be of service at Portman Road.

“Thankfully I got a couple of early touches when I came on, so it didn’t take me long to get up to speed with the game,” he said. “It’s somewhere I feel comfortable enough to play; I covered there last season for Boro and enjoyed it. Sometimes it can be bad thing, because if you do a good job people see you as left back.

“We looked very organised and anybody who watched the game could see we were the better team, we just didn’t take our chances, but they will come and everyone can see the improvement already.

“I was trying to wind the boys up saying they didn’t have any chances after I came on. But I thought we looked solid throughout the team, not just the back four but the full 11. I’m happy to help the team out in any way possible and that meant playing in another position, so I’m happy to do that.”

Since Halliday’s arrival Blackpool have drawn three of the five games he’s been involved in, and the Scot is expecting The Seasiders to start turning those draws into wins soon.

“It is something to build on and hopefully we can push forward on Saturday. We touched on it that clean sheets were becoming an issue, especially after the start the boys had with the defensive record, so we were happy with that at Ipswich.

“You see it so often in this league, teams that are struggling get one result and it seems to fire them into a run. It’s hard to say because we haven’t won, but the results haven’t been bad. People wouldn’t have given us much of a chance against Nottingham Forest. We’ve just been unlucky to not get the three points that our performances have deserved.”

The winger joined Blackpool almost a month ago, and has played his part in every game since. From a personal level Halliday feels he is getting back to his best, which is helped by the welcoming atmosphere around Bloomfield Road.

“I know it’s a cliché and people say it all the time, but I genuinely love it here. The first three weeks have gone by so quick. Not just the football side, but off the park too, it’s a good set of lads and an easy group to settle into.

“I matured quite a lot as a player last year because I got a decent amount of games after an injury-hit first couple of seasons.

“I felt I had to get out, I had to get games and I’ve enjoyed every minute so far. I’m happy with my form, but I think there is plenty more to come and hopefully I can add a few more goals before the end of the season.”